Chinese PV Industry Brief: Solar module prices drop for the first time in the past six months

Taiwanese market research company PV InfoLink has reported that the average price of polysilicon remained stable at RMB269 (US$42.1) per kg this week in China. It noted that this price level is still three times higher than that reported last January. As for wafers, PV InfoLink says that M10 (182 mm) wafers saw their price decline 4.9% to RMB5.38 per piece and M10 (175 mm) drop 5.64% to RMB6.36. G12 (210 mm) wafer prices remained stable at RMB8.93 per piece. This trend is due to high inventory levels and low operation rates of wafer factories. Referring to solar cell prices, PV InfoLink said that M10 PERC monocrystalline cells are now cheaper by 0.9% at RMB1.14 per W, while the price of M6 mono PERC cells dropped 1.9% to RMB1.08 per W. A price drop was also reported for G1 (158.75 mm) mono- and poly-crystalline products, which saw prices decrease over the previous week by 1.7% and 2.8%, respectively. Furthermore, according to PV InfoLink, last week solar module prices dropped for the first time in the past six months. Average prices for M6, M10 and G12 mono PERC modules fell by 1%, 1.4% and 1.4%, respectively, to RMB2.01, RMB2.04 and RMB2.04 per watt.

Polysilicon manufacturer Daqo said it will increase investments in its plan to expand capacity from RMB576 million to RMB4.09 billion. The plan relates to the addition of new manufacturing capacities totaling 35,000 MT.

PV wafer manufacturer Shuangliang Eco-Energy announced on Wednesday that it had placed an order with Asia Silicon to purchase up to 25,210 metric tons of polysilicon from December 2021 to November 2026, based on a monthly determined price and quantity.

The China-based solar manufacturing unit of Sino-Canadian business Canadian Solar on Wednesday announced the signing of a strategic co-operation agreement with battery giant CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd) relating to battery systems, lithium-ion battery modules, operations and maintenance, and technology. Announcing the deal, Canadian Solar chairman and CEO Shawn Qu said his business had a 21 GWh global battery storage pipeline, including 2.9 GWh under construction.

Shareholders at heavily-indebted clean energy project developer Shunfeng International will vote, on December 13, on the proposed sale of almost a quarter of the company’s 763 MW solar portfolio to raise RMB538 million ($84.2 million). Shunfeng missed another payment deadline a month ago by failing to pay RMB255 million ($39.9 million) owed to investors in a 2016 bond and are set to have to find HK$175 million ($22.4 million) by Tuesday to settle with investor Rainbow Fort, plus HK$300 million ($38.5 million) for China Minsheng Banking Corp by the end of the year. The proposed sale of seven solar projects with a total generation capacity of 190 MW, to state-owned China Power Investment Xinjiang Energy Chemical Engineering Group Akesu Co Ltd, would book a projected loss on the value of the assets of RMB148 million ($23.2 million) – up from the previous estimate of RMB100 million ($15.6 million) – but would reduce company liabilities by RMB1.1 billion ($172 million).